


Clarity

by procrastiwriter



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Angst, Blind Character, Blindness, Comedy, Danger, Dark Magic, Drama, Eventual Smut, Eyes, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Glasses, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, Magic, Pre-Canon, Pre-Series, SOLDIER - Freeform, Smut, Thats my opinion, The dragon prince - Freeform, Vision - Freeform, blind, how do you know what's good for me?, slowburn, some smut, tdp, thats all you get enjoy the fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-23
Updated: 2019-05-30
Packaged: 2020-03-09 22:55:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18926644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/procrastiwriter/pseuds/procrastiwriter
Summary: Through an unexpected incident, Gren helps Soren see what he's been missing. Having spent the majority of his life under his father Viren's thumb, Soren hardly got the chance to experience life fully. That was until Gren came along and showed him all there was to see, and more.This fic is pre-series/pre-canon and an AU where everything is the same but Gren, Soren and Marcos are the same age. It will make sense later on. Thank you.





	1. A New Perspective

Sometime ago, several months before the elven ambush on Katolis, an incident occurred with the one named Gren, an incident that could very well have changed the future he had mapped out. He, like many other boys around his age, was in training to become a royal soldier. His father, now retired, served long years in the kingdom’s military, and expected his only son to do the same.

One night, Gren and a group of friends decided to go to a local hotspot and fool around on the night of their one day off in the week from training, Saturday. Tonight, they celebrated Hugo’s eighteenth birthday; it became a sort of tradition to celebrate the group’s eighteenth birthdays, since it marked the start of adulthood.

After the celebration, the group went into the nearby woods to play a sporting game of _Capture the Elf._

Soren began to speak as the group followed him, making their way deeper into the woods. “Alright, let’s recap the game rules for anyone that might have forgotten them. So, one half of the group is going to be Hunters, and the other half, Elves. The goal for the Elves is to make it to the base without getting caught, and the goal for the Hunters is to capture the Elves before they get to the base. If an Elf is spotted by a Hunter, they are captured. However, if the Elf makes it to base before the Hunter can get their hands on them, that’s a point for them. Make sense?” he asked the group.

The boys looked at one another and nodded collectively. “Good! Now for some ground rules, let’s see: no spitting, no slapping, punching, back-handing, kicking, no rock throwing…no sticks! Okay? We don’t need someone losing an eye or getting a stick stuck in their leg again,” Soren paused to clear his throat briefly and turn his gaze to a certain boy. “I’m talking to you, Hugo. _Okay_? We don’t need another incident like that.”

Hugo laughed and nodded. Soren named a few other rules before Corvus posed a simple question. “Where’s the base?”

Soren paused and looked around. “How about those big rocks over there?” he pointed to a formation of boulders a few feet from them. The surrounding area was flat and grassy, then tall trees and shrubs billowed around it. The group agreed on the location and split in two; the Elves were given one minute to hide, while the Hunters stayed at the base.

Gren and Corvus were Elves in this round. They devised a plan of attack, then darted between trees and leaped over shrubs in search of a good place to hide, somewhere they’d have easy access to the base. It was slightly hard to see, since the trees clouded the moonlight, but they made do.

They were all dressed in commoner’s clothing, it allowed the boys to be more agile and lighter on their feet, making it easier for the Elves to escape the Hunters, but likewise for the Hunters to chase them down.

Soren gathered the boys at the base to him, and they devised a plan. “I’ll walk around the rocks and keep watch, make sure no one sneaks up from behind,” Marcos suggested.

“Good idea,” Soren agreed.

“Loren and I were going to scout the surrounding bushes and trees.” William suggested.

“Sounds good, but make sure you stay within 20 feet of the base. And listen for Marcos’ call if he sees someone or hears something.”

“Got it.” they both agreed.

“Hugo and I will be the Hunters then.” Soren said, gesturing to Hugo. They nodded and split up.

A few moments later, Soren called “Time!” from the base, and everyone got to work doing their assigned tasks.

Each game ended when either the all Elves made it to base unnoticed, or the Hunters found all the Elves. The first few rounds went to the Elves, outsmarting the Hunters with the oldest ticks in the book. In the fourth round, Gren was an Elf again, and, this time, decided to find a different place to hide. He found a little nook surrounded by trees and shrubbery, about 30 or so feet from the base. Several smaller shrubs ahead of him helped to conceal him.

Again, Soren called time and the Hunters set off.

Gren, crouched within the trees, rested his hand on the trunk of one of them and waited for the right moment to take off. His attention was focused on the Hunters; he carefully watched them as they made their way through the woods and, when they were out of sight relied on his hearing. This kept him preoccupied enough not to notice the sap running over his fingers. When he heard rustling behind him he instinctively stood up, only then noticing the strange, watery sap on his fingers.

However, he couldn’t dwell on the sap on his hand for too long. Hugo, who was a Hunter in this round, spotted Gren and began chasing him. “Gotcha, bitch!” he exclaimed.

Gren screamed and started to run away instinctively, trying to make it to the base before Hugo caught him. He had always been a fast runner, so Gren managed to beat him there. “Ha-ha!” he cheered in celebration.

“Yeah, yeah.” Hugo sighed, catching his breath.

Gren stood with a hand on his hip as he caught his own, wiping droplets of sweat from his forehead and those that had dripped down around his eyes and on his upper lip. Distracted, he didn’t notice he was using his sap-soiled hand as he wiped his face. Immediately, his skin started to become red and bumpy; little hives began to boil up from under his skin. He felt a slight discomfort around his eyes when he had grazed his fingers over them, but the more he rubbed at his itching skin and burning eyes, the more irritated and painful they got.

He winced and tried to blink the pain away, but it only became more intense with each passing minute.

“Hey, you okay, Gren?” Marcos asked, noticing Gren’s discomfort.

“Not really. My face is…burning, and my eyes hurt really badly.” he admitted, still trying to blink the pain away. His eyes were drying up and becoming more and more red, as Marcos noticed. “Maybe I just need to rinse them out.” Gren suggested.

“Maybe it’s your allergies acting up.” Hugo then suggested from behind him, not thinking anything of the situation. But Corvus shook his head as he approached Gren. “No, it’s definitely more than regular allergies.” He placed a hand on Gren’s shoulder and examined his swelling face.

Gren thought the moonlight was playing tricks on his eyes, but quickly realized it wasn’t. He was losing sight of things, literally, but he kept that to himself, not wanting to worry anyone further.

Marcos then called out to the others. “Game over, guys! Something’s wrong with Gren!”

The boys rushed back to the base to see what was wrong. They collectively exasperated “whoa!” shocked at what they saw. Everyone questioned Gren about what happened, but the pain and irritation were too bothersome; Gren couldn’t hear what they were saying.

“What’s with your hand?” Soren inquired as he took hold of Gren’s wrist and examined his hand. It too was swollen and had small hives forming on it. Gren didn’t answer. “Alright, we need to get you to the infirmary.” he prompted, a worried tone in his voice.

“I- I’m sorry…” Gren apologized quietly, embarrassed he had caused a scene.

“Don’t be, none of this is your fault.” Soren replied, reassuringly. He led Gren out of the woods by his wrist, since his eyes were swelling shut.

“We’ll catch up with you guys in the morning.” Marcos told Soren as the lot of them made their way back to the horses, still tied up at the side of the hotspot.

\\\

Gren rode with Soren on his horse while the others followed Marcos, his horse leading Gren’s back to the castle estate. The hand Soren used to examine Gren’s was starting to break out in little hives now. He ushered his horse to go faster.

By the time they made it to the infirmary, Gren’s face had blown up so much, he was almost unrecognizable. The burning in his eyes and on his skin became unbearable, as he winced and shook with pain.

Soren helped him down from the horse and inside the infirmary when they arrived. Gren shielded his face in shame. “Can you breathe okay?” Soren asked nervously. Gren nodded yes.

One of the nurses, noticing their distress, rushed over to them and asked what was wrong. Soren frantically replied, “I don’t know. I think he got some sort of sap on his face and in his eyes.”

“It’s more than that now!” Gren huskily cried suddenly, startling everyone. He winced again. “I can’t…” Gren tried to choke out.

“You can’t what?” the nurse insisted.

“I can’t see! M- my eyes…I can’t…” he strained.

Soren’s eyes widened. “What?”

“That’s okay. It is most likely because of the swelling.” a male nurse suggested, trying to calm them down.

“Come with me, quickly.” the female nurse told Gren, helping him to a sink at the end of the hallway.

The male nurse caught a glance at Soren’s hand and brought him over to the sink as well, careful not to touch Soren’s hand with his own. Both nurses put on specially made rubber gloves, and quickly washed the sap off the boys with a syrupy, sweet smelling concoction they called “soap.” Once Soren’s hand was cleaned and dried, the nurse told him to wait outside. So, Soren waited outside. He seated himself on a small bench in front of the infirmary, hunched over with his elbows on his thighs, examining his hand as the swelling slowly died down. He could hear Gren cry out in pain every so often. The sound made him uneasy.

Inside, the male nurse got to work washing Gren’s face and hand, while the woman rinsed his eyes out with distilled water. The swelling had gone down enough that Gren could open and blink his eyes again. “Is it still hard to see?” the woman inquired.

“Yes…” he winced.

“And I see the pain isn’t letting up…” the nurse said to herself. She then asked, “What kind of tree did you touch? Do you remember what it looked like?”

“No, not really…”

“Why were you in the woods at night, anyway?” she asked again, trying to put the pieces together.

“Me and a few friends were just playing a game, and…I put my hand on the wrong tree…” he admitted hesitantly.

“You sure did, kid.” she replied patronizingly as she continued to rinse his eyes. The doctor then rounded the corner, having finished with his previous patients. The nurse told him what she knew.

“And your eyes still burn?” he inquired to Gren.

“Yes, yes, very much so…” He gripped the pant of his bouncing leg _._

“I see. The swelling is going down nicely, but we will still get you on some anti-inflammatory meds.” the doctor replied. He then told the nurses to stop what they were doing for a moment so he could perform some tests on Gren’s eyes.

He waited for Gren to calm down and blink his eyes into focus before he began. First, he simply waved his hand before Gren’s face several times: his eyes followed the hand. He then reached for a small lamp that concentrated the flame of the candle more directly and shone it in Gren’s eyes, holding his head steady and his eye lids open with his thumb. He squinted a little at the light, and his pupils contracted. Not very much, but something was better than nothing.

The doctor drew in a long breath, then exhaled heavily. “Not very good…” he mumbled, then announced as he stood up, “Alright, let’s get some anti-inflammatory serum for his eyes. I’ll give him a shot to stop the burning and keep the topical swelling down. Continue to rinse his eyes, and make sure you get all the sap off his face. Let’s also get his blood pressure and heartrate once he’s calmed down as well.” The doctor searched for medicine in a nearby cabinet as he spoke.

“Understood.” the female nurse replied to him.

“What’s wrong with my eyes?” Gren inquired with a worried tone.

“Don’t worry, nothing is terribly wrong. We still need to perform some treatments and tests. Your vision will get better with time.” she promised him, hardly believing herself. This was a medical case none of them had seen before, so she couldn’t promise him anything fully.

Gren nodded and swallowed down the lump in his throat.

\\\

The male nurse that ushered Soren out of the infirmary now welcomed him back in. “You can see him if you like. He is in room 4.” he told him politely, gesturing to a curtained doorway behind him.

“Thank you.” Soren nodded. The nurse nodded back before he went on his way.

Soren carefully entered the room. The moonlight from a small window illuminated Gren’s body. He laid on his side, his back to the entrance. Soren’s presence didn’t stir him. “Hey,” he began lightly. Gren then looked over his shoulder and sat up, half turned toward Soren. “What did they say?” he continued, taking a seat at the edge of the bed.

Gren shrugged. “They didn’t really say much…” he replied, honestly. “They just told me the sap was poisonous. That’s why I broke out in hives and swelled up so much.” His voice was barely above a whisper.

“Okay, makes sense… What about your eyes?” Soren asked gently; he noticed Gren avoided making eye contact. Gren stayed quiet for a beat too long, so Soren placed a hand on his shoulder. “Hey…” Gren didn’t move from his slumped over position. “It’s okay, you don’t have to talk about it if—"

“I can hardly see.” Gren cut in.

“W— What do you mean? You mentioned something like that before…” Soren brought his hand off Gren’s shoulder as he shifted closer to him, actively trying to see his face.

“I mean…I can hardly see.” Gren reiterated dryly. “I…can only see things vaguely. Everything looks like one big blob…and it’s all in grayscale, if that makes sense.” He paused and sighed heavily. “Everything’s so blurry I… I might as well be blind.”

“Don’t say that…” Soren muttered reflexively. It was the only thing he could think to say. He sat there at a loss of words; his brows furrowed.

Gren went on. “The doctor doesn’t know why or how this happened. He said he needed to research the toxins in the sap…to see what chemical caused this… He doesn’t know if my vision will get better or worse…”

Soren paused for a moment and collected his thoughts. “Hmm. I understand.” he replied softly.

“So, I’m just left to sit here…wondering if I can still become a soldier… Hell, if I can even go back to training…” he mumbled hoarsely, shaking his head, doubting himself.

“Gren, you can’t talk like that. Tomorrow is a new day, and who knows? Maybe your vision will be better in the morning.” Soren grinned, but it was like Gren couldn’t hear him. He didn’t shrug or nod or grin back… He only continued to stare at the blurry blob of moonlight on the floor next to the bed.

Soren shifted closer still, trying to get Gren to look him in the face, a hand back on his shoulder. “Listen, it’s going to be okay—”

“No, it’s _not_ going to be okay!” Gren burst, pushing Soren’s hand off his shoulder. “Nothing about this is okay! I can’t do _anything_ with my vision like this. Not spar, not sword fight, not arch… I have to practice interpreting sign language _every_ day! And…I can hardly see you, and you’re…what? Six inches from me?! I’m useless like this. The second Coach finds out about this, I’m done for! Kicked out… They don’t need someone who’s unable to do even the simplest of tasks.” Gren sharply stared at Soren for a moment before he added, “Don’t you get it?”

He turned away from Soren then and slumped over, holding his head. Soren sat stiff, in awe; his mouth was slightly agape. Gren then said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to… I’m not myself right now.” Soren knew he meant his apology; he could hear it in the sudden weak tone of his voice.

Soren took a breath as he ran a hand through his hair. He never knew the right way to comfort someone in distress, but he continued on, doing his best. “I know it seems like…your whole world is falling apart right now. I just wanted to say that…it’s okay to feel whatever you’re feeling. It's okay to be vulnerable to your emotions and let them out, let them breathe. No one is going to judge you or ridicule you for feeling things out… I certainly won’t, because I’ve… I’ve been in your place, many times.”

Soren got lost in his head for a moment but brought himself back to his point. “I don’t want to make this about me. You shouldn’t feel bad for yelling at me, and you don’t have to apologize for it. If you need a shoulder to cry on, or a face to scream at, I’ll gladly be that for you if it means you’ll feel better afterwards. I won’t take it personally…” He reassured Gren, then paused for a moment before he added, “I just…wanted you to know that.”

Soren was half turned away from Gren now, so he was surprised when he felt a weight on the back of his shoulder. He turned his head to see the top of Gren’s. His expression softened and he remained still, not wanting to disturb the redhead, until he heard him inhale shakily. He took Gren by the shoulders and gently leaned him back. When he saw tears running down his cheeks, he instinctively scooped him into a tight embrace.

Gren had been silently crying for some time now. He needed to hear what Soren told him. He always tried to be positive and look on the bright side of things, but he just couldn’t, not now. Soren was right, his world was falling apart, and he didn’t have the strength to pick up the pieces. Not on his own. Everything he once found comfort in, he couldn’t anymore. He gripped the back of Soren’s shirt as he squeezed more tears from his eyes.

“I really can’t go back to training if this doesn’t get fixed…” Gren then said. “I can’t become a sign language interpreter, like I’ve always wanted… It’s not even about the sign language, I just…wanted to help people.” Soren stayed quiet, letting Gren have his moment.

“My dad would be so mad if he found out about this…” He paused and relaxed his grip on Soren’s shirt, then leaned back, wiping his face. “Promise you won’t go telling people about this, not Claudia, not Callum or Ezran…I don’t want anyone outside of our friend group to know…it’s too embarrassing.”

“I won’t.”

“Even if they ask, just make something up, anything, I don’t care what it is. But don’t tell my father, especially, under any circumstances, please.” Gren nearly pleaded.

“I won’t, I swear.” Soren told him earnestly, a hand back on his shoulder as he mustered up a grin. Gren sniffed and looked up at him through the blurry mess that was his vision before falling back onto Soren’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, I could never.” he added, reassuringly.

Gren sighed heavily as he hugged him back. “Thank you…”

Soren nodded in reply. He didn’t speak again until Gren sat back and wiped his face for a second time. “Listen, get some rest and try not to overthink things. Alright?” Gren nodded. “Good. I’ll be back in the morning, since tomorrow is our day off. I’ll bring you some fresh clothes and maybe even some Xadian fruit.” Soren teased. Since it was late spring/early summer, Xadian fruit was at its peak, so he thought Gren might enjoy some to cheer him up.

Gren grinned. “No, you don’t have to—”

“Nope, none of that.” Soren stopped him with his hand up. “I insist.” he nodded.

The ginger nodded again, this time managing to muster up a smile.

“Alright. Night.” Soren patted him on the back before he stood up to leave.

“Hey, Soren.” Gren then said softly, halting him.

“Yeah?”

“Thanks again…for everything.” he said looking over his shoulder toward the other boy. “I really appreciate it.”

Soren briefly paused before smiling to himself. “Don’t mention it. G’night.”

“Night.”

\\\

It was somewhere around 10 at night when Soren began his search for Claudia. Some nights she studied spells and researched things in the library, while other nights she spent in her bedroom. Soren checked the library first, but since it was so late, he wasn’t surprised to see she wasn’t there, so he made his way to her bedroom, conveniently located across the hall from his.

The door was partly opened when he got there; he saw her reading a book at her desk as she brushed her hair. He gave a light knock on the door. “Who is it?” she called.

“It’s me. Is it too late to come in?”

“No, of course not. Come in.” Claudia welcomed.

Soren stepped in, closing the door behind him. “Hey, Claud’s. I need your help with something.” he said as he sat down on an ottoman, getting straight to the point.

“What’s up?” she asked curiously, turning to face him.

“So…you know Gren, right? Well, we were hanging out earlier tonight and...” Soren paused to search for the right words.

Claudia grinned and teased, “Oh, just the two of you?”

Soren shot her a face with a raised brow. “No? It was us and a group of friends.” he explained, slightly annoyed. “This is serious, just listen. We were in the woods and—"

“ _Oh_? In the woods, huh?!” She sang suddenly, teasing him again.

“Claudia, please! I’m being serious, okay?” Soren spat, his brows furrowing.

“Alright, alright. I’m sorry.” she giggled, then cleared her throat and straightened up. “Go on.”

Soren gave her an unamused face. He paused for a moment and licked his lips, rolling his eyes. “As I was saying… A few friends, along with Gren and I, were playing _Capture the Elf_ in the woods, and Gren got some sort of poisonous sap on his hand, and then on his face and in his eyes.”

Claudia froze and blinked a few times. “He _what_?” she asked, leaning her head forward.

“We took him to the royal infirmary, and they helped stop the swelling, but the sap did something to his eyes and…now he has really bad vision. That’s what he told me anyway. It’s so bad he said he was blind.” Soren tried his best to explain what happened, so it made sense to Claudia.

“Oh, my gods… How— What did the doctor say?” Claudia persisted, realizing the gravity of the situation.

“I don’t really know how to explain it.” he admitted scratching his neck. “Why don’t we go down to the infirmary so you can ask him yourself?” Soren then suggested.

“Yeah, that’s probably best.” She held her head, distraught. “Let me just grab a few things.” she added, slipping on her robe and grabbing a few books that might help her. “Do you know what kind of sap it was?” she inquired as they made their way back to the infirmary.

“No idea. The doctor doesn’t even know. Why, does that matter?” Soren asked, raising a brow.

“Of course, it matters, Soren. I need to know to figure out what kind of spell I need to perform.” she explained, mildly annoyed.

“Oh, right. But— Wait,” Soren halted her then, stepping in her path.

“What?” she asked.

“I don’t know how comfortable Gren is going to be with Dark Magic. He’s…a pretty spiritual guy, and…” Soren scratched the back of his head again.

“And?” Claudia raised a brow. “Does he want to get his vision back, or not?” she then sassed.

“Claudia, don’t be like that… It’s just— He’s not in the best head space right now; he needs some time to figure things out.”

“Well, I understand that, but why can’t I talk about Dark Magic around him?”

“That’s not what I meant…” Soren paused, trying to find the right words. “It’s more that… Dark Magic is a little immoral, right? You take life from magical creatures and use them to do your bidding, right?” Soren said carefully, so as not to upset Claudia further.

“Yeah…?” she nodded.

“And, so…taking into account Gren’s religious beliefs…which say that taking life is, like I said before, _immoral_ , I doubt Gren will be willing to have a spell cast on him.”

“So…should I still go see him, or?”

“Well…” Soren thought about it for a moment. “Yeah, I think you should, just to find out what kind of sap it might have been that got in his eyes.  And maybe you could ask the doctor a few things. I’m sure he’d be willing to tell you what he knows. But just— try not to bring up Dark Magic.”

Claudia drew in a long breath. “Okay,” she sighed. “Let’s go.”

\\\

Gren had gone to bathe in the Bath Hall shortly after Soren had left. The male nurse gave him a change of clothes for the night—a pair of cotton trousers and a short-sleeved shirt—and a clean towel, then lead him to the Hall. Once they made it to the boy’s side, a gentleman greeted him, standing by the entrance with a table housing an array of body scrubs and hair cleansers. Since it was immensely difficult to see, Gren had to rely on his sense of smell and touch to distinguish between the products, with the help of the assistant as well; he tried to act natural as he chose his products.

He ended up choosing a small bowl of mixture containing one-part honey, two-parts sugar, and three-parts ground oats to use as a face and body scrub, another mixture of apple cider vinegar, Aloe Vera water and essential oils as shampoo, and shea and cocoa butter melted into a paste as conditioner. Gren never really enjoyed sitting in a bath of warm water; he always preferred to shower or bathe in some sort of running water, like a river if a shower wasn’t available; he thought it to be more cleanly to bathe in running water, anyhow. Gren thanked the attendant for his help and proceeded to a stall. He could make out some things in the midst of his blurry vision but used his hand to feel out finer details.

Candles were lit along the walls, so it was easier to see at night. The stone walls came up to most men’s shoulders, providing an adequate amount of privacy as they showered. Small slits in the roof of the building helped to ventilate the steam as men showered. A small entryway to the showerhead, with a stone ledge to sit or place clothes on, provided a space for the men to undress, a curtain hung to shield their bodies. As the men undressed, a worker at a water tower nearby waited for the signal from the attendant; once he saw the flame from below, lit by the attendant in a small torch with a metal handle, he knew to start the water. The attendant then shouted a number, letting the worker know which stall the man or men were in, so he could start the water in the correct stall.

Gren tested the temperature of the water before submerging himself under it, closing his eyes as he soaked his hair. He took his time, sulking in the warm water, letting it seep into his skin as he tried to clear his head of his impending thoughts.

\\\

Claudia and Soren arrived at the infirmary just a few moments after Gren had gone to bathe. Soren approached the nurse and asked to see Gren. She told him he had gone to the Bath Hall. “Oh… Darn.” he muttered to himself; he wanted Claudia to talk to with Gren about the situation.

“It’s okay.” Claudia then said, placing a hand on his shoulder. She turned to the nurse and asked if she could speak to the doctor about a few things. She graciously nodded and led her to him.

Soren stayed behind and thought he should take a shower as well. He was sure he…smelled bad, to say the least, and his skin felt tacky. He was glad his sister didn’t ridicule him for the way he smelled; she knew he was insecure about it at times. When the nurse returned, Soren asked if he could borrow a pair of clothes and a towel. “I meant to grab a fresh pair of clothes and all, when I went to see Claudia, I mean…but I got caught up in things.” he shrugged. “I’ll be back tomorrow morning to see Gren, so I’ll bring them back then.” he promised. The nurse obliged and handed him what he needed. He also asked her to tell Claudia where he went and not to wait up on him. With that settled, Soren set off to the Bath Hall.

When he arrived, he was greeted by the nurse that helped Gren and the attendant. Like Gren before him, Soren chose his desired cleansing products, then proceeded into the Hall. He stared at Gren as he made his way to the open stall across from him. Gren glanced over at Soren when he heard him brush the curtain aside, but assumed it was a random person, since they didn’t greet him, and continued to wash himself.

Soren suddenly felt weird looking at the other man. Even though he was only able to see his head and part of his shoulders, something felt wrong about it. There was just something about seeing Gren like this, with his hair dripping wet, steam billowing up around him… Soren wondered what products he was using; they made the humid atmosphere smell so good.

Soren shook his head and forced himself to look away as he undressed. He meant to strike up conversation, but now it felt awkward. He submerged himself under the warm water, quickly wetting his hair and getting to work on washing himself. He needed to distract himself from looking at the other man.

Gren was nearly done bathing, and his mood shifted for the better now that he had some time to clear his head; the essential oils in the products, like lavender and jojoba, helped as well. He thought to strike up small talk with the other, not-yet identified man. He cleared his throat before he said, “Lovely night we’re having.”

Soren paused and looked at Gren, then sheepishly smiled to himself, knowing he’d recognize his voice. “Yeah… Not too cold, not too hot, not too humid…” Soren trailed, biting down a laugh.

Gren paused and turned to face the other man. “Soren?” he inquired, raising a brow.

“Hi, how are ya?” he laughed.

“Wh— Why didn’t you say anything when you walked in?” Gren teased, playfully offended.

“Well—you seemed to be enjoying yourself and I didn’t want to interrupt anything, so…” Soren teased back. Gren laughed out loud at that.

The attendant outside then called to Gren, “Five more minutes, sir.”

Gren replied sarcastically, “Sir? I am no ‘sir,’ my dude. I’m only 17.” Soren laughed at that. “But, thank you.” The attendant briefly giggled to himself before resuming conversation with the nurse. There was a pang of silence between Soren and Gren as they tried to listen in on what the nurse and the attendant were talking about. Gren could feel Soren looking at him, so he thumbed toward the two men with his brows raised, implying they were flirting. Soren snickered and hid his face, a mouth over his hand to silence his laughter.

After a moment, Soren thought to resume conversation. “Hey, so…I see you’re feeling better.”

“Yeah…I just needed to take a breather. It isn’t so bad, with my eyes like this, I mean. I thought it would disable me from doing simple tasks but…” Gren paused and shrugged. “It’s not so bad.”

“That’s the spirit.” Soren replied happily.

“Yeah,” Gren grinned. “So, what are your plans for tomorrow?”

“Uh…Honestly, I hadn’t thought about making any plans. I usually just veg-out on Sundays. Maybe study up on some topics…” Soren looked around as he thought, then looked back at Gren, remembering something. “Actually, I said I’d bring you some Xadian fruit, right?”

“I’d hoped you had forgotten—” Gren mused.

“Well, I didn’t. So be expecting some Xadian fruit. No if’s, and’s or buts.”

Gren rolled his eyes and he chuckled.

Soren and Gren continued to chit-chat about a few things—some random, some more relevant—until the water shut off for both of them. “Hey, no fair. I got less time than Gren.” Soren wined.

“I’m sorry. I will let the water tower worker know and—” the attendant began frantically.

“No, no, I’m just messing. Relax, I take quick showers.” Soren explained.

“Oh… Right.” the other man smiled sheepishly, calming himself down.

Gren and Soren remained silent as they redressed in the fresh clothes given to them. Soren thought to mention Dark Magic to Gren when they made their way back to the infirmary, in case Claudia slipped up about it. He knew his sister could be blunt sometimes, and he didn’t want Gren to be uncomfortable, or feel as though Dark Magic was his only way out.

The redhead stepped out from behind the curtain just as Soren did. He got distracted by Gren’s wet, tousled hair and damp, seemingly gleaming skin until he noticed the nurse make his was back over to Gren. “Hey, if it’s no big deal, I can help him back to the infirmary. They might need you back there or something.” Soren then suggested to the nurse.

“If it’s not a bother, that would be great, actually.” he said with a grin. “I have a few things I need to do back at the infirmary.” the man explained.

“Yeah, no big deal.” Soren limp-wristed.

Gren looked at Soren with a raised brow, slightly confused, but smiled and agreed with him when he felt the nurse look to him for validation. “Don’t worry, I won’t run off.” he joked.

With that, the man went. Soren and Gren thanked the attendant for his help and bid him a good night. A few moments later, Gren spoke up. “Why did you insist on walking me back?”

“Well, firstly I didn’t insist, I just thought it’d be a kind gesture.” Soren shrugged, speaking with his hand.

“Okay… And secondly?” Gren inquired.

“Well, secondly…I wanted to ask you about something. It might be kind of a touchy subject and…” Soren trailed off, anxiety setting in.

“Just ask me. I won’t get offended or anything.” Gren said, nudging Soren’s arm.

“Alright… So, after I left, I went and told Claudia about what happened and—” Gren stopped in his tracks, making an unimpressed face at the other man. “What?” Soren inquired.

“I asked you not to tell anyone, Soren. I made that very clear.”

“I know, I know.” Gren turned his head away and sighed heavily. “I’m sorry, but I had an idea that involved her.” Soren went on. “Just hear me out.” Gren paused and licked his lips, sighing again before he turned back to face Soren. “She and I were discussing that, if there was no other way to help your eyes, that maybe she could…”

“Just say whatever it is you’re going to say.” Gren insisted dryly.

“My sister knows some Dark Magic, and she thought to cast a healing spell to help heal your eyes, or at least speed up the healing process. She just needs to figure out what kind of spell to cast.” Soren paused, waiting for Gren to react. He stayed silent as he turned his head, pressing his lips together in thought.

“You know Dark Magic goes against what I believe in, right?”

“Yes, I do, I know that…” Soren quickly replied, guilt settling in his stomach. “But… I wanted to ask you before Claudia did. I didn’t want her to put you on the spot and make you feel like you had no other choice.”

Gren absorbed Soren’s words as he hung his head, deep in thought. Soren stood stiffly before him, gnawing on his lip and picking at his nails as he examined Gren’s body language, trying to read him. “As of right now, I’m not comfortable talking about this option further.” Gren finally said. “I… I’m not offended, and I’m not mad.” Soren relaxed a bit at the sound of that. “I was, for a moment, after you said you’d told Claudia…” The other man grabbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. “but not anymore because it was justified. And I appreciate your thoughtfulness. I just… need to sleep on it before I give you a definite yes or no answer.”

“Okay.” Soren nodded.

“Cool.” Gren said lightly.

“Cool.” Soren echoed with a small grin, still feeling guilty.

Gren could sense something still wasn’t right. “What, what is it?”

“I’m sorry. I’m just... I’m sorry about all this...” His voice quickly shifted to a serious tone, resonating a tinge of the guilt he was feeling.

“What do you mean? What are you sorry about?” Gren inquired, furrowing his brows.

“I just... It was my idea to go play _Capture the Elf_ , and—”

Gren held a hand up and rolled his eyes. “No, shut— I’m going to stop you there.”

“Gren...” Soren grumbled.

“No, don’t try and take responsibility for any of this. None of what happened to me is your fault.”

“I know, but—”

“Soren, I’m not going to repeat myself.” the redhead told him sternly. Soren looked back at him, about to say something else, but stopped himself, sharply exhaling the breath he’d taken out his nose. Gren went on, his voice now a gentler tone. “I was the one who got the sap on my hand and in my eyes, _not_ you. Just...please. Don’t.”

Soren couldn’t argue with Gren; it was late, and he could see the exhaustion in his face and in his eyes. “Alright.” he sighed.

“Now take me back to the infirmary. I’m tired.” he groaned.

“Right.” Soren grinned as they resumed their walk.

\\\

Soren bid Gren a good night for a second time before making his way up to his room. Claudia wasn’t at the infirmary when they arrived, so he assumed she went back to her room. When he made it to the hallway that housed their rooms, he peered into her room again, hoping she was still awake.

“Hey,” Soren whispered. “Can I?”

“Yeah, yeah. I was waiting for you.” Claudia gestured for him to enter as she stood up from her desk.

“Were you able to find anything out?” Soren inquired curiously.

“Yes, thankfully. The doctor identified the type of tree that secreted the poisonous sap…”

Soren cringed. “That’s a nasty word. _Secreted_ , ugh.”

“Just listen…”  Claudia rolled her eyes. “Now that I know what kind of sap it was, I know what spell I should use.”

“Oh, great!” Soren cheered. “But--” he began, but his sister cut him off.

“The only thing is…one of the items I need for the spell is…oh…about 100 miles away.”

“What?! That’s insanely far. I don’t--" he tried again, but was cut off for a second time.

“Yeah, but if I leave tomorrow morning, I should be back in about a week, if the trip goes as planned.”

“Claudia, wait. I don’t think you should be planning that trip just yet.” Soren finally said.

“Why?” she inquired gently.

“Gren hasn’t made up his mind about Dark Magic yet. I asked about the spell you suggested on our way back to the infirmary and he seemed hesitant.” he informed her.

“Oh...I see.” Claudia nodded.

“Hence why I think you should hold off. It would be a waste to go on such a long journey to come back and not put the spell to use.”

“You’re right.”

“Gren said he needed to sleep on it, so maybe if you talk with him about it tomorrow, he’d be more willing to try the spell.” Soren suggested.

“I’ll do that then.” Claudia smiled, nodding her head in agreement.

“Cool…” Soren yawned, rubbing his eye.

Claudia giggled as she placed a hand on his shoulder. “Go get some rest. You need it.”

Soren agreed and bid her a good night’s sleep as he made his way to his bed. As tired as he was, it took some time for him to fall asleep. He was worried for Gren; worried about what his father would say and do to him if he found out about the incident, worried none of the medical treatments would help, worried that he’d say sightless and have to rethink his once sturdy future over again. He’d hate to see Gren like that, like the way he was after the doctor examined him, lamenting and so cynical, so unlike his usual upbeat self.

His mind raced until it didn’t, and his chest was tight until it loosened, until all the negative outcomes were replaced by the good, and Soren could finally relax. The image of Gren’s smile, the bright blue hue of his eyes, his freckles… They all helped to put him at ease.

 


	2. Solace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claudia carefully proposes her creative solution to Gren, and the doctor comes with good news. Soren gets teased by his comrades, and later goes with Corvus and Gren to the barracks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Lots of humor and less angst in this one. Comments and kudos are welcome and much appreciated.
> 
> Also sorry about the word count. I cant write a short fic/chapter for my life lol
> 
> Follow me on twitter for updates and more! @ grensfreckles

When Gren woke, his surroundings were dimly lit, leading him to believe it was early in the morning. His eye hadn’t gotten much better—he still could hardly see. The feeling of cool, dewy air on his skin helped assure him it was well before sunrise. He stretched his arms and legs out, groaning lightly as he did, enjoying the feeling.

Laying on his back now, he ran his hands over his face and through his hair, thinking about how he’d get through his Sunday routine of studying and writing back to his parents. Sunday’s were important to him and his family, since it was a day they spent together and caught up on things. But since Gren was away training in Katolis, he didn’t get to see them as often, so keeping in touch through letters was his only means of communication for the time being.

In the autumn, when the young soldiers-to-be graduated and were regarded as such, Gren could see them again; or so he hoped. The thought of his eyes staying this way made his chest ache; the thought of being looked at differently by his family choked him up. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes with his palms, letting the thoughts fade as he swung his legs to the edge of the bed and sat up. He sat there for a moment and gathered himself before putting on his shoes. He reached for the shirt he’d placed on the bedside table and slipped it on before making his way to the doorway. Feeling for the curtain, he brushed it aside when it met his hand and peeked his head around the corner. “Excuse me?” he gently called out.

The female nurse stood up from her desk and approached him. “Yes, what is it?” she asked him attentively.

“Oh, I just wanted to see if anyone was around. Good morning.” Gren smiled as he stepped into the hallway.

The nurse relaxed and smiled back. “Morning. How are your eyes? Any better?”

“Not much better.” he shrugged, then changed the subject. “I was actually wondering if…well, if someone could take me to the House of Worship for morning ceremony.” He said, fiddling with his fingers as he spoke. “If not, that’s fine. I can just…pray in my room. I was just wondering.” He absolutely did not want anyone to go out of their way to take him anywhere.

“No, no, it’s no problem. The nurse that works the next shift actually goes to the House of Worship today. I can see if she is willing to go with you.” the nurse told him reassuringly. “Let me go ask her now. She lives on the estate.” She walked back to her desk for a moment, then called for someone named Davis. He came over to her and she asked him to lead Gren to the restroom to wash up. “I’ll be right back.” Gren thanked her as she left.

Later on, as Gren returned to the infirmary with the other nurse—he learned her name was Hellen, but Gren courteously referred to her as ma’am—the doctor greeted him at the door. “Ah, there you are. Come, come.” He wrapped an arm around the redhead’s shoulder, ushering him inside. “I have to leave soon, but before I do, I wanted to take another look at your eyes.”

“Oh, of course. I apologize for—”

“No, no. None of that. It’s alright.” the doctor reassured him as he seated Gren on the bed in his room. He shone the small candle light in his eyes again, examining them closely. “Has your vision gotten any better?”

“No, not really.”

“How vividly can you see colors?”

“Not so vividly… They’re fairly desaturated.”

“I see.” The doctor paused for a moment as he wrote notes down on a piece of parchment. “Now, do you see any opaque whiteness, as though you’re looking through fog? Or is your vision just mostly blurred out?”

Gren paused and looked down at his hands, holding them close to his face. They were illuminated by the sunlight coming from the window, but no matter how close he brought them to his face, he couldn’t bring them into focus. He was barely able to make out the gaps between his fingers. “Yeah, I do see some sort of fog. I think that’s what’s causing colors to appear desaturated.”

“Noted,” the man said, writing more notes down. He would give them to the doctor that came in for the next shift. “It could also be what’s disrupting your vision so much…” he went on.

“Perhaps…” Gren mumbled, frowning. He didn’t like being questioned about his vision; it made him uncomfortable.

“Alright, well… They don’t seem to be getting much better. But it _is_ only the second day, so no need to worry for now.” The doctor told Gren, trying to put him at some ease. “I sent word to an eye specialist last night, an ophthalmologist from a few towns over. He should be here by noon with some gadgets and gizmos to see what he can do to help your eyes.”

Gren nodded understandingly, thanking the doctor.

“Listen, don’t be so hard on yourself. You couldn’t have anticipated any of this.” the doctor then said, his voice softening. Gren glanced up at him with a small smile, thanking him again. The doctor nodded briefly as he gathered his things and stood up. “Take it easy, kid.”

\\\

The light of the morning sun shone brightly in Soren’s eyes as he woke. He furrowed his brows and wiped the drool from the corner of his lips as he rolled onto his back, turning his head away from the sun. He kept blinking his eyes to make sure he didn’t fall back asleep; his bed was always most comfortable in the morning. After a moment, he propped himself up on his elbows to check the time on the small clock on his bedside table: 8:35am. Soren usually woke at 6am to prepare for training, so this was his idea of sleeping in. He sat up and ran his hands through his hair to get his brain working, then gave his arms a stretch and dragged himself out of bed.

He moped over to his door and locked it, not wanting to be disturbed. Soren had a secret habit of doing yoga in the morning to warm his muscles up and get the juices flowing; it was the only way he could wake himself up aside from taking a shot of Claudia’s Hot Brown Morning Potion.

When he was all loosened up, he grabbed a change of clothes, freshened himself up and changed in the washroom connected to his room. Later, as he made his bed, he remembered something: he swore to bring Gren Xadian fruit for breakfast along with a change of clothes. He also had to return the clothes and towel he’d borrowed from last night, but he decided to bring that back later in the day; it would be too many things for him to carry.

He searched his dresser for one of his nicer shirts and a pair of his most comfortable pants for Gren, then hurried to the cafeteria to snag the Xadian fruit and grab a plate of breakfast for himself. With the clothes for Gren slung over his arm, and an empty plate in his hand, Soren got on line and eyed the Xadian fruit as people pilled it onto their plates. He wished meal times weren’t organized buffet style, but he assumed it was the quickest way to feed people. Soren then spotted Marcos a few heads ahead and called to him, asking if she could save some of the fruit for a friend. The people before him recognized Soren and were gracious enough to let him ahead. Soren swore he’d repay them as he dove for whatever remained of the exotic fruits. Careful to not be stingy, he made sure to leave enough for those behind him.

“Hey,” Marcos greeted. “What’s up? How’s Gren?”

“I’ll tell you and the others all about it in a bit. Hold this?” Soren said, handing Marcos the plate of fruit. He grabbed another plate and got food for himself.

“Two plates? You’re that hungry?”

“No, you dingus. The fruit’s for Gren.”

“Oh, is it?” Marcos wiggled his brows insinuatingly.

Soren gave him a look and took the plate back.

Marcos wiggled his brows again and chuckled. “Those clothes for him too?” he sang.

“If my hands were free, I’d punch you.” Soren groaned. “So, I guess I’ll just have to kick you.” he grinned deviously.

“Wh- Ow!” Marcos exclaimed, laughing. “Rude…”

Soren playfully winked at him over his shoulder as he made his way to Corvus and the others, sitting down at their table. Marcos followed behind him. The boys greeted Soren as he set the plates down. “How’s Gren?” Corvus inquired, sitting across from him.

Soren spoke as he seated himself, placing the change of clothes for Gren at his side. “He’s alright. The nurses were able to treat him, and they gave him some meds. But, um…” he then hesitated as he poured himself a glass of water.

“What?” Corvus asked lightly.

The other boys leaned in attentively. “His eyes…he— can’t really see.” Soren finally said. The table went silent. Soren glanced at the lot of them before speaking again. “The sap was poisonous and got in his eyes and…they got messed up a bit. But don’t be too worried, guys. He’s not blind, which is good…” he tried to reassure them. “The doctor said his vision will get better with time. They’ll probably give him a pair of glasses and he’ll be good as new.” That helped to lighten the atmosphere a bit, but Soren still had a serious tone in his voice as he added, “But he wanted me to tell you guys to keep quiet about this whole thing. Don’t tell anyone about what happened, especially not Coach. This stays between us and only us.”

The lot of them swore, putting their hands up and crossing their hearts. “Good.” Soren nodded.

Conversation at the other end of the table resumed, but Corvus, Marcos and the others around Soren continued to listen. “He’s going to be alright. He was worried for a bit. Ya know, that he’d get kicked out and stuff… But I talked with him and helped change his mind.”

“That’s good then.” Corvus breathed, relieved. Soren smiled at him briefly before digging into his food. The other’s relaxed as well and turned most of their attention away from the two. “Is he still at the infirmary?” Corvus then asked.

“Yeah. They wanted to keep him overnight to make sure he didn’t flare up again. Something like that.” Soren told him with his mouth full, his belly aching for food. He tried to downplay the situation as best as he could, not wanting the others to worry about Gren.

“I see.” Corvus nodded. “So, I assume that plate of fruit and change of clothes is for him?” he then inquired with a grin as he gestured with his silverware.

Soren looked up from his plate and swallowed before he answered. “Yeah, it is. He asked me to bring them for him.” Soren half-lied.

“Mkay.” Corvus nodded, letting him eat. “I’ll come with you to the infirmary if that’s alright.”

Soren shrugged and nodded back at him. “Hey, pass the bread and butter?” he then asked Marcos.

\\\

Shortly after the doctor left, another visitor came by to see Gren. It was a girl with an unfamiliar voice, one he hadn’t heard before. From behind the curtain, he heard her speaking with one of the nurses and to the doctor, both who seemed to recognize her. She then asked to speak with Gren. He sat up in his bed at the sound of that, curious to find out who was there.

“Hey!” she greeted him cheerfully as she entered the room, placing what sounded like a book on his bedside table. “I know you probably don’t know me, but I’m Claudia, Soren’s younger sister.” she went on as she seated herself in a chair, holding her hand out, forgetting for a moment about the condition of the boy’s eyes. “Oh- sorry. I’m holding my hand out to you.”

He smiled and shook her hand. “I’m Gren, nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.” Claudia smiled before becoming serious, getting right to the point. “So, my brother said he spoke with you about Dark Magic, right?” She carefully chose her words as she spoke.

“Oh. Yes, he mentioned that. We spoke about it briefly last night and he mentioned you too.” Gren recalled.

“That’s good, I’m glad. So…how do you feel about it?” Anxiety began to settle in her stomach.

Gren furrowed his brows for a moment. “What do you mean?”

“Like… Would you be willing to have a healing spell cast on you? Not- not right now, of course. I actually have to travel a distance to get the item I need for the spell. That’s why I’m asking. I wanted to make sure you were comfortable with it before I set out.” She tried to explain things as best as she could.

“Oh, I see.” Gren paused for a moment. He had given some thought to Dark Magic as he laid in bed the previous night, but still wasn’t sure about relying on that type of magic to help his condition.

“I don’t mean to pressure you, by any means.” Claudia continued. “I understand you have…strong beliefs and, I wouldn’t want to disrespect you in any way.”

“No, I understand. I’m not offended by the offer, no need to worry.” Gren told her reassuringly. She relaxed a little at that. He pondered it over once more, then finally settled on a decision and said, “I am willing. But only if all else fails and worst comes to worst, and there’s absolutely no other option... Then I’ll go through with Dark Magic.” He tried to sound confident in his answer.

“I know you’re nervous, but everything’s going to work out. I’m confident the spell will work. And, like you said, it will be a last resort.” she reassured him.

“I’m glad you understand, and I appreciate the concern.” Gren smiled warmly.

“Of course.” Claudia smiled back. She then grabbed her notebook and pencil and asked him a few questions, jotting down specific characteristics about his eyes and vision.

After some time, Gren interrupted her writing and asked, “Do you know if Soren is going to stop by?”

She hummed in thought as she scribbled the last of her notes. “I don’t know. I assume so, but I can ask him when I see him. He likes to sleep in on Sunday’s, so he’s probably at the cafeteria having breakfast right now.”

“Oh, okay.” Gren nodded grinning to himself. He looked down at his hands to hide his expression.

Claudia noticed the shift in his mood. “Why do you ask?”

“No reason, I was just wondering. What time is it?” he asked, changing the subject.

“It’s ten-till 9.”

“Oh, so it’s still pretty early. I got up a few hours ago, so I thought it was later.” Gren shrugged.

Claudia grinned to herself briefly and nodded. “Well, I think I got everything I needed to know.” she then said, looking down at her notes. “I’m going to head out and prepare for my trip.” Standing up and closing the notebook, she then placed the chair back against the wall where it was.

“Right,” Gren nodded as he stood up and walked her out, wishing her luck and a safe trip.

“I’ll send Soren here when I see him.” she called to him on her way out.

Gren laughed, tilting his head to the side. “Sounds like a plan.” he called back before re-entering his room.

 

Claudia spotted Soren walking toward her not too long after she left. He was conversing with someone, so he didn’t notice her until she called to him. “Hey,” she waved a hand as she greeted the two of boys. “Where ya heading?”

“To the infirmary,” Soren told her.

“To see Gren.” Corvus added.

“Oh, good.” She directed her gaze back to Soren as she said, “He was just asking about you.”

Corvus threw a devious grin Soren’s way but he didn’t notice. “Wait, you went to see him?” the blonde inquired.

“Yeah, we talked about some…creative solutions to help his vision. You know.” she told him discreetly.

“Oh, right. That’s good then.” Soren nodded, leaving Corvus out of the loop.

“Yeah.” Claudia nodded back at him.

Soren turned his attention to Corvus then, handing him the change of clothes he’d been carrying. “Hey, you can go ahead. I’ll be a minute. Just have to talk with Claudia about something.”

Corvus raised a brow but didn’t question him. “O-kay?”

Soren nodded with a small grin and ushered him forward, then turned his attention back to his sister. “So, did he agree?”

“Yes, I was able to persuade him. He still seems a little hesitant, but I promised him the spell would work.”

“That’s good. It will work, right?” Soren inquired.

“Yes, don’t worry—” Claudia limp-wristed. “I was on my way to go pack and arrange for a bodyguard to come with me on my trip.”

Soren hummed and nodded understandingly. “So, you’re really going…”

“I have to if you want me to help him.” she said softly, referring to Gren.

“I know… I’m just going to be worried about you.” Soren admitted as he fiddled with his hands.

She smiled and assured him, “I’ll be fine, you don’t have to worry too much.”

Soren eased a little at that. “Alright. It sounds like you have a solid plan anyway so you’re right, I really shouldn’t worry.” A thought then came to mind and he asked, “But what should I tell dad?”

Claudia made something believable up on the spot, then added, “but tell him that _only_ if he asks. Which, I’m sure he will but who knows. I went a week without seeing dad once.”

“How?” he asked, raising a brow.

“He got caught up in some sort of royal work. Not too sure about what kind of work, but that’s not important. He’ll probably just assume I’m in the library or in my room.” Claudia played off.

Soren nodded. ‘That sounds familiar.’ he thought to himself, then said, “Well, I wish you a safe trip.”

The siblings embraced before Claudia went on her way. Soren watched her go, anxiety already settling in the pit of his stomach. But he tried to put himself at ease and not think too much of the journey like Claudia had asked.

Corvus carefully walked into the infirmary. Greeted by a nurse, he too asked if he could see Gren. The redhead, sitting on his bed again, turned his attention to the sound of their voices as they walked to his room.

“Boy, you sure are popular, huh?” the nurse teased Gren as she held the curtain aside for Corvus. He thanked her quietly.

“I suppose.” Gren laughed, standing up from the bed.

Corvus placed the clothes and plate down on the bedside table before greeting Gren with a handshake and a quick hug. “Didn’t expect you to come down here.”

“Yeah, good one.” Corvus mocked playfully.

Gren and Corvus were childhood friends, both from Duren, a neighboring kingdom to Katolis. They grew up in the same small town together, a town with luscious forests and gardens, its border across the stream from Katolis.

“Soren’s not coming?” Gren inquired then.

“No, he is. Don’t worry.” he teased.

Gren rolled his eyes. “I’m not worried. I just thought he got caught up with something.”

Corvus nudged him and chuckled. Just then Soren rounded the corner, slightly winded from running. “Who, what?”

“Ah, perfect timing!” Corvus mused to Soren. “He was worried you weren’t going to show.”

“Shut up…” Gren muttered, hiding his face.

He held his chest in exaggeration and added, “Ouch. I’m offended. Geez, have some faith in me, Gren.” The other boys laughed. “I brought you a change of clothes and some Xadian fruit like I said I would.”

“Some? More like a whole plate.” Corvus mused again.

“Alright, I’m sorry…” Gren laughed, taking the plate and sitting back down on the bed. With the plate in his lap, he thanked Soren for his kind gesture before biting into a piece of fruit. “Oh, wow...so good. Sit, sit. Let’s talk.” Gren ushered, gesturing to the boys.

Corvus brought the chair that sat against the wall in front of him and straddled it, resting his arms on the back support. Soren sat down next to Gren on the bed, having nowhere else to sit besides the floor. Gren filled Corvus in about the incident and the state of his eyes, answering any questions he had along the way. He then informed them both about the ophthalmologist that was to arrive later that day. “He’s an eye specialist. The doctor that was here earlier thought he might be of better use.”

The boys were glad to hear the good news. Corvus then inquired gently, “How’re you holding up?”

“I’m alright. Still a little embarrassed and mad at myself and whatnot, but…it could be worse.” Gren shrugged.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself. You couldn’t have anticipated any of this happening.” Corvus told him earnestly, unintentionally echoing the doctor.

“Yeah… I don’t know. I just don’t really want to talk about it anymore.” he admitted. The others stayed quiet for a moment, examining Gren’s expression as he looked down at his plate. He then took a breath and held it out to them, offering the fruit. “Want some?” Corvus politely declined but Soren snagged a piece; he shook his head at the blonde with a grin curling at his lips.

Soren shrugged, “He offered.”

“What?” Gren asked, raising his head.

“Ah, nothing. Corvus was judging me for taking a piece.”

“He didn’t take it, I offered it to him—”

“Yeah, yeah…” he waved off.

Soren spoke up again after a moment. “Listen, when you finish, go change and meet us out front by the bench. I assume you don’t want to sit here all day.

“You’re right, I don’t. I actually need to get my things from the barracks. I’ll probably be staying here for a couple of days.” Gren said.

“Right, good idea.” Corvus nodded. “I’ll go with you, since I have to grab something too.”

“You’re family is in town, right?” the redhead inquired.

“Yeah. I planned to meet with them around ten.”

“Can I come with?” Soren asked, directing his words to Corvus. “I could help Gren back to the infirmary so you don’t have to walk back and forth.” he suggested.

The other boys nodded and agreed on the plan.

Soren and Corvus walked out front and sat down on the bench. “So— When are you gonna tell him?”

Soren raised a brow as he sat back. “Tell who what?”

Corvus rolled his eyes. “Don’t play dumb…” Soren looked at him with a straight face. Corvus went on. “Tell Gren? That you _like_ him?”

Soren sat up and raised his palms, slapping them down on his thighs. “Why does everyone think I like Gren like that?”

“Because you do—”

“No, I don’t! I just want to be friends with him. Get to know him better, that’s all.” Soren stated defensively.

“Sure, sure.” Corvus mused. “Explains why you brought him a change of _your_ clothes—”

“Right, like you’ve never let one of your friends borrow a shirt to change into. Never, right?” Soren mocked, mildly annoyed.

“No, I have but—”

“Okay, so does that automatically mean you’re romantically interested in them? No, didn’t think so.” Corvus couldn’t help but laugh.

“It’s not funny!” Soren stressed playfully.

“Bu- but you _also_ brought him breakfast, _and_ a pair of pants-”

“Can’t a guy just do a simple favor for another guy without thinking he wants to get in his pants?”

Corvus wheezed.

“Geez…” Soren exacerbated, rolling his eyes. “First Claudia, then Marcos, now you… Who’s next, the horses?” Corvus laughed some more. “I expected this shit from Marcos since his head’s always in the gutter…but you?” Soren placed a hand on his hip and scoffed. “Ya barely know me!”

“I don’t gotta know you too well to know you like Gren. It’s plainly obvious!” Corvus insisted.

“Alright, whatever you say…” Soren sighed, crossing his arms and slumping back into the bench. He then heard Gren from down the hall, explaining to the nurse where he was going. He turned back to Corvus with a fist raised and whispered, “If you bring this up again, I swear I’ll punch you so hard ya ancestors will feel it.” He spoke so fast, Corvus barely processed what he said and had to stifle another laugh as Gren came out. The two boys stood up as Soren greeted Gren, and set off to the barracks. Soren was surprised by the lack of assistance Gren needed as they walked down stairs and paths in the woods. He could have sworn Gren stepped over a rock at one point; it boggled his mind.

After some time, they made it to the four-story building at the edge of the woods, not too far from town. Soren lived on the castle estate with his sister, so this building was new to him. He passed by it many times before, whenever he ventured outside the castle estate, but had never been inside. It was made entirely of bricks painted red and gold, and was distinctively angular with four flat sides. As they entered and headed toward a spiral staircase, Soren observed the interior to be rather bland and fairly dark despite the sun shining brightly outside. He wondered why the environment of the place felt so oppressing. Perhaps it was due to the lack of people inside, since most everyone was at the castle estate enjoying breakfast.

Gren followed behind Corvus, and Soren behind Gren as they climbed the stairs to the second story. There, the shared room of Gren and Corvus was located. Soren watched Gren’s feet as the ascended the staircase to make sure he didn’t trip, but he didn’t need to; Gren didn’t miss a beat.

As they stepped out of the stairwell, Soren finally spoke up “Okay- How are you doing that?”

“Me?” Gren asked, looking over his shoulder.

“Yeah, _you_.”

“How am I doing what?”

“H- How do you know exactly where to step? Like, when we were walking through the path in the woods, you stepped over a rock, right?” He was speaking rather frantically and caught Corvus looking at him funny. Soren pointed an accusing finger at him. “Don’t give me that look, I _saw_ him do it.” Corvus chuckled. “And just now when we were walking up the stairs…”

“What’s your point?” Gren laughed.

Corvus spoke up then. “He has depictive memory.”

Soren furrowed his brows and blinked. “The what now?”

“It means I can see or hear things once and remember them in detail for an extended period of time.” Gren tried to clarify, but Soren was still slightly confused. “In plain English, it means I have really good memory.”

The blonde looked at Corvus who nodded and shrugged. “That’s crazy.” Soren awed.

“Yeah. I guess.” Gren shrugged as they entered the bedroom. “Most people have the same reaction. So, to elaborate, I know how many steps it takes to get to the second floor because I count them every time I climb them. You know? Do you get it?”

Soren nodded as he observed Gren going through his dresser, picking out various articles of clothing he might need. “Yeah, I think it’s clicking now.” He glanced back at Corvus with his brows raised. “It’s just a little wild to me.”

“It’s annoying. Having a memory like this is a _curse_.” Gren wined going over to his desk and scooping up the books that sat on it.

Corvus then said, “What the hell you need your books for?”

“To study from.” he told him plainly.

“Like you actually need to study, firstly. Second, how are you supposed to study from them when, ya know, you can’t see?”

“First of all, I don’t need your mockery. Second, I’ll have someone help me.”

Corvus rolled his eyes before gathering his things. “Alright, it’s almost ten, so I’m going to head out.”

“Kay, bye--” the redhead sang.

“You know the way back right?” he asked Soren at the doorway.

“Yeah, it’s pretty simple. And even if I get lost, I’m sure Gren will know the way.” he mused.

Corvus patted him on the back and bid them farewell. Soren briefly watched him leave before turning his gaze back to Gren who was… “Whoa, whoa, what are you doing?!” Soren asked, shielding his eyes with one hand.

Gren pulled the shirt he was removing over his head and replied, “Changing?”

“You could’ve asked me to leave the room or something!”

“It wouldn’t make a difference. Think of it this way, how am I supposed to know if you’re looking at me or not?”

“Geez…”

“Soren, you’re acting like you’ve never seen a shirtless guy before.” Gren mused, continuing to undress.

The blonde rolled his eyes and sighed. “Not my point. But wait- why are you changing? You don’t like my clothes?” he asked, bringing his hand down from his eyes only to see the redhead in his boxers.

“No, I do. But, like you said, they’re _your_ clothes. So I figured I’d return them to you.” he explained, continuing to undress.

Soren didn’t say anything after that. He pulled his gaze away and stepped out into the hallway, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. “You can keep the underwear.” He stammered a bit before adding, I don’t need it back…” He pinched the bridge of his nose and lightly laughed to himself.

“Okay… You good?” Gren called to him, a smile in his voice.

“Just get dressed, okay?”

Gren laughed and redressed before grabbing Soren’s clothes and handing them back to him in the hall. “Are you ready now?” Soren asked him, unamused. Gren hopped back into the room to grab his clothes and books, the stepped back out into the hallway and nodded. Soren grinned at him, shaking his head as he lifted himself from the wall. He tried to get the image of Gren in the nude out of his mind as he asked, “So where to first?”

“I need to visit Crow Lord and get a letter from my parents. They write to me every week.” Gren explained. “But, you don’t have to follow me around. I can ask one of the nurses to help me with things. I don’t want to keep you from doing your own things.”

“Dude, dude. It’s chill. Don’t _worry_ about it, I got no plans.” Gren chuckled at the tone of his voice. “I can help ya out. Let a bro help a bro.” Soren was almost singing at this point. “Lemme get to know ya, _c’mon_.”

“Alright,” Gren laughed, shutting Soren up.

He didn’t mean to seem like he was pushing Soren away. On the contrary; he was flattered by the thought of someone being interested in him, wanting to get to know and spend time with him. But he didn’t want to pester him. Gren was sure he had his own things to do throughout the day, since he was in training to become part of the Crown Guard. But Soren didn’t seem to mind, and as long as he didn’t mind, Gren would enjoy his company.

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment and leave kudos if you enjoyed this chapter! :)
> 
> follow me on twitter for chapter updates: @ grensfreckles  
> https://twitter.com/grensfreckles


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